Published: Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 8:17 a.m.

But the cries for help began years before the 40-year-old mother of five was gunned down by her estranged husband in Ocala on Tuesday.

Neighbors in Fort Myers said it wasn’t uncommon to find her sitting in her fenced-in yard, her five little boys circled around her, animatedly reading storybooks.

“She was a fantastic mother,” said neighbor Steve Eryman. “She was very doting, mild-mannered and just really a very sweet lady.”

But it was known in the neighborhood that all was not peaceful inside the Torres home. There were loud fights between Marta and her husband, Elliot, and she was often seen emerging with bruises and blackened eyes.

Elliot, 41, was known to frequently fire off his shotgun into the night air.

Then one night in August, Marta, hoping for an escape and ultimately a new life in her native Puerto Rico, quietly stole away to Ocala with her boys, ages 6 to 13.

Tuesday, shortly after noon, Ocala Police reported Elliot tracked Marta to her workplace at Davis Supply in the 2300 block of Northeast Eighth Road. He hustled her outside, chased her in the parking lot with a shotgun as she begged for her life and then shot her four times before fatally shooting himself.

Thirty seconds and it was over, co-worker Debbie Shorr told police.

Shorr could be heard on a 911 call to police crying hysterically as she described the scene outside.

Police recovered several pieces of ammunition from the scene, along with a Stevens Savage Arms shotgun. Officials said Marta Torres was shot four times.

Shorr told police the couple had recently separated and that Marta Torres, 40, was staying with her because she was afraid of her husband.

Shorr later told investigators she was outside the building Tuesday smoking a cigarette when Elliot entered. She said she saw him and Marta talking inside an office.

About 30 seconds later, she said, she heard a gunshot and ran to the front door. Outside, she saw Elliot Torres with a shotgun chasing his wife around his bright yellow Hummer.

Marta was screaming, “Don’t kill me,” Shorr told police.

Elliot, she said, grabbed his wife by her arm and shot her in the stomach.

Shorr locked the door and called 911.

Davis Supply Vice President Matt Davis, who is based in Port Richey, came to Ocala Wednesday to survey the scene.

He said Marta and Elliot Torres formerly worked at the Fort Myers location. Elliot was fired for not following company policy. She was transferred to Ocala.

“It’s unfortunate. They had domestic problems, and we did our part to move her roughly two months ago,” Davis said.

“We were working with the family for quite a while. She was supposed to start English class [Wednesday night].”

Davis, himself, had drawn the ire of Elliot Torres for helping Marta move away from Fort Myers and had to summon police after Elliot made a series of threatening phone calls about a week after Marta left.

A VIOLENT HISTORY

Tuesday’s shooting was the culmination of a rocky and violent marriage. Signs of Elliot Torres’ erratic behavior are detailed in reports from the Fort Myers and Ocala police departments.

In April 1998, he was arrested on a charge of domestic violence after Marta Torres told officials he slapped her several times because she did not tell him about a letter from state social workers.

Marta worked for the same company, and on Aug. 14, called police from work saying her husband was suicidal and was repeatedly clicking his gun in the dark the night before. He was at home with their five children. The boys were afraid.

Police responded, confiscated Elliot’s .357-caliber handgun and took him into custody under the Baker Act, which allows people with mental and emotional problems to be detained at a treatment facility for up to 72 hours.

On Aug. 23, Marta Torres went to the Ocala Police Department and reported that her estranged husband had discovered her whereabouts and she was afraid of him.

On Aug. 25, an officer with the Fort Myers Police Department went to the Davis Supply office there after receiving a complaint about harassing phone calls.

An employee said Elliot Torres had threatened to kill him and that five days prior had made the same threat to another employee.

A Department of Children and Families spokeswoman on Wednesday called the murder-suicide “tragic.”

She said her agency had contact with the family in August 2008 in Lee County, but it was not related to domestic violence.

The five boys are staying with a foster family until the agency can find a suitable relative.

Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com. Rachel Revehl of the Fort Myers News Press contributed to this story.

<p>Marta Torres’ last, frantic words were a tearful, Don’t kill me!</p><p>But the cries for help began years before the 40-year-old mother of five was gunned down by her estranged husband in Ocala on Tuesday.</p><p>Neighbors in Fort Myers said it wasn’t uncommon to find her sitting in her fenced-in yard, her five little boys circled around her, animatedly reading storybooks.</p><p>She was a fantastic mother, said neighbor Steve Eryman. She was very doting, mild-mannered and just really a very sweet lady.</p><p>But it was known in the neighborhood that all was not peaceful inside the Torres home. There were loud fights between Marta and her husband, Elliot, and she was often seen emerging with bruises and blackened eyes.</p><p>Elliot, 41, was known to frequently fire off his shotgun into the night air.</p><p>Then one night in August, Marta, hoping for an escape and ultimately a new life in her native Puerto Rico, quietly stole away to Ocala with her boys, ages 6 to 13.</p><p>Tuesday, shortly after noon, Ocala Police reported Elliot tracked Marta to her workplace at Davis Supply in the 2300 block of Northeast Eighth Road. He hustled her outside, chased her in the parking lot with a shotgun as she begged for her life and then shot her four times before fatally shooting himself.</p><p>Thirty seconds and it was over, co-worker Debbie Shorr told police.</p><p>Shorr could be heard on a 911 call to police crying hysterically as she described the scene outside.</p><p>No! she screamed as the dispatcher answered the call. Hurry, he’s shooting her. He’s shooting her. My God.</p><p>Police recovered several pieces of ammunition from the scene, along with a Stevens Savage Arms shotgun. Officials said Marta Torres was shot four times.</p><p>Shorr told police the couple had recently separated and that Marta Torres, 40, was staying with her because she was afraid of her husband.</p><p>Shorr later told investigators she was outside the building Tuesday smoking a cigarette when Elliot entered. She said she saw him and Marta talking inside an office.</p><p>About 30 seconds later, she said, she heard a gunshot and ran to the front door. Outside, she saw Elliot Torres with a shotgun chasing his wife around his bright yellow Hummer.</p><p>Marta was screaming, Don’t kill me, Shorr told police.</p><p>Elliot, she said, grabbed his wife by her arm and shot her in the stomach.</p><p>Shorr locked the door and called 911. </p><p>Davis Supply Vice President Matt Davis, who is based in Port Richey, came to Ocala Wednesday to survey the scene.</p><p>He said Marta and Elliot Torres formerly worked at the Fort Myers location. Elliot was fired for not following company policy. She was transferred to Ocala.</p><p>It’s unfortunate. They had domestic problems, and we did our part to move her roughly two months ago, Davis said.</p><p>We were working with the family for quite a while. She was supposed to start English class [Wednesday night].</p><p>Davis, himself, had drawn the ire of Elliot Torres for helping Marta move away from Fort Myers and had to summon police after Elliot made a series of threatening phone calls about a week after Marta left.</p><h3>A VIOLENT HISTORY</h3>
<p>Tuesday’s shooting was the culmination of a rocky and violent marriage. Signs of Elliot Torres’ erratic behavior are detailed in reports from the Fort Myers and Ocala police departments.</p><p>In April 1998, he was arrested on a charge of domestic violence after Marta Torres told officials he slapped her several times because she did not tell him about a letter from state social workers.</p><p>Marta worked for the same company, and on Aug. 14, called police from work saying her husband was suicidal and was repeatedly clicking his gun in the dark the night before. He was at home with their five children. The boys were afraid.</p><p>Police responded, confiscated Elliot’s .357-caliber handgun and took him into custody under the Baker Act, which allows people with mental and emotional problems to be detained at a treatment facility for up to 72 hours.</p><p>On Aug. 23, Marta Torres went to the Ocala Police Department and reported that her estranged husband had discovered her whereabouts and she was afraid of him.</p><p>On Aug. 25, an officer with the Fort Myers Police Department went to the Davis Supply office there after receiving a complaint about harassing phone calls.</p><p>An employee said Elliot Torres had threatened to kill him and that five days prior had made the same threat to another employee.</p><p>A Department of Children and Families spokeswoman on Wednesday called the murder-suicide tragic.</p><p>She said her agency had contact with the family in August 2008 in Lee County, but it was not related to domestic violence.</p><p>The five boys are staying with a foster family until the agency can find a suitable relative.</p><p><i>Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com. Rachel Revehl of the Fort Myers News Press contributed to this story.</i></p>